Update

My hiatus of four months has come to an end. Right before school started back, I had the incredible opportunity to start writing for The Odyssey so that took a good bit of my time and my creative writing juices for a couple of months. Now, the semester is slowing down, I am no longer writing for The Odyssey, so I can come back to my home, and post more. 

Wow, it has been a busy semester. My student internship in the elementary school started July 30th (Yes, you read that correctly... it was still the middle of summer basically), and I have had four amazing months interning in the elementary school. My first placement was with a class of twenty-two of the sweetest third graders you'll ever meet--and no, I'm not biased at all :). I never imagined the love that my heart could have for students older than five years old, and students who were in general education classrooms. The Lord taught me so much through my first placement; He taught me patience, resilience, and best of all, the pure joy of being around children for eight hours every day.

My second placement involved tantrums, snotty noses, and lots of Usher ABCs seriously, go watch the video. It's some of Usher's finest work). That's right, folks, I was in SPED Pre-K for six weeks. Wow did the Lord teach me a lot through that placement as well. My mentor teachers so well prepared me for managing all sorts of wild behavior, but the Lord taught me how to love so fiercely that it didn't matter if a child was wailing in my face and hitting me. Those babies have a special place in my heart and I would teach SPED Pre-K for the rest of my life if that where the Lord had me. 

Through both of these placements, I have had five classes with an insane amount of work to do, but all of the craziness has been preparing me to be the best teacher that I can possibly be. There have been tears, panic attacks, lots of laughs, frustration, hour-long car rides every.single.day, traffic, ranting sessions, microwave struggles, endless amounts of Chick-fil-A and Starbucks, Snapchat stories, and a PDC full of people who I have come to respect immensely. I wouldn't want to go through this program with anyone else, and I know after this semester that I am exactly where I need to be. 

Here's to hoping another four month hiatus will not take place. Until next time! 

"Where I was born and where and how I have lived is unimportant. It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest." -D.L. Moody

Always,

Caroline 

Why I Loved My Summer Job

This summer I had the awesome opportunity to work at my church as one of the youth ministry interns. My church is fairly big, so there are lots of staff members. There are activities with the kids every day of the week, and then of course church on Sunday. It was a busy summer. It was also an emotional summer. I don't know about you, but I was completely overwhelmed with having to get up, get dressed and look nice, and having to interact with people all. day. long. The youth ministry at my church is like a family. It has its ups and downs, and the staff can get testy with one another. Working in student ministry can get emotional, because there are real kids with real lives that have problems and sometimes it was just sad to be a witness to some stuff. I learned a lot of lessons in self-control, in patience. I learned that I am not cut out to hang out with middle schoolers day in and day out; bless those of you who do. I learned that working in a relationship-heavy job is emotionally daunting and exhausting. I know that as a teacher I will be working in a similar yet completely different environment, so I suppose it's good that I learned these things now. 

But on a happier note and the purpose of this post: one of those staff members happened to be a family member. That family member happened to be my dad. 

The absolute best thing about my job this summer was getting to spend so much time with my daddy. (I hope you're reading this and crying :P) 

There are so many wonderful things about my dad that I can't even begin to describe, but I really feel as though our relationship was strengthened in mighty ways this summer. At least two mornings out of the week, we rode to work together, and during these times (aside from listening to the Bert Show), we would talk about ministry, family, the Lord, and everything in between. We laughed and ranted together and even cried together (well, okay, that was just me blubbering). I have never felt more freedom to talk that open and honestly with my dad. It's not that we don't have a good relationship, because we do, but we've never spent that much time together that many days in a row, and ultimately we were working towards a common goal together within the youth ministry this summer. It was definitely part of the Lord's plan this summer to open a door for me to work at the church with so many wonderful people, but most importantly, my dad. I love you daddy.

"Listen, my son, to your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck." -Proverbs 1:8-9

Always,

Caroline

And a happy father's day

Wow, it has been over a month since I last posted, which is kind of sad. A lot has been going on, but that is another post for another day... 

President Richard Nixon declared Father's Day a national holiday in 1972, and ever since then our society has made Father's Day (along with Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, etc.) into a huge money-making venture. However, I am all for holidays that are set aside to celebrate certain people, especially my daddy because he is worth celebrating. 

My dad has brought me up in the ways of the Lord, and for that, I can not be more thankful. Rarely as a six year old are dinner conversations about theology and church history, but that was my life growing up. The Lord really blessed me with a father that is so knowledgeable about God and one who shared the love of Christ with me and my brothers every single day. My dad loves to have fun, he loves to watch football, he loves to watch us play sports and instruments, and most importantly he loves Jesus. I couldn't have asked for a better role model or a dad who loves his kids more than mine. Thank you for being awesome, Daddy. I love you! 

Always,

Caroline 

Mother's Day

My poor mom doesn't get much credit or recognition around our house. My brother was born on her birthday, so she has to share a birthday, and Mother's Day has fallen on my birthday numerous times, and if it is not on my actual birthday, then it falls right around then and the family is focused on me. Oops. So this post is to give Mom a little recognition. 

I am very fortunate in the fact that I have grown up with my mom around all the time. When I was born she started working part-time and when I was still little she started working from home. My mom homeschooled me from the time I was in kindergarten until I started high school. That is a feat in and of itself, because I wouldn't have wanted to deal with the boys and I for 24/7. But she did that for us, to ensure that we were safe and loved and received a good education. My mom works three jobs and is so daggum tired that she goes to bed at 8:30 every night. Neither of my brothers drive, so she drives them around to all of their activities and school, and she did the same for me before I got my license. 

Mom is one of the most selfless people I know :: She loves her some coca-cola and some Big Bang Theory :: Mom loves to watch and talk about soccer, and the Braves are her favorite :: She loves her family, her jobs, and Jesus :: She diagrams sentences in her head when she reads :: She loves the mountains and hates missing our activities :: She loves Candy Crush and Frozen Free Fall :: She has a Book of Life where she writes grocery lists and plans and everything else down :: She is one of the strongest people I know :: 

I love you, Mom. Happy Mother's Day. 

Always,

Caroline 

20 Blessings & Counting

20 years old sounds so much older than 19. In reality, I don't feel any different, and 20 isn't a huge milestone year, but nonetheless, I am old. I might look 12, but look out world, this girl is 20. I know you're all excited for another one of my lists. Here are 20 blessings and so much more on this birthday! 

I am blessed beyond measure by all of the following (but in no particular order):

1. Parents who love me and support me
2. Parents who have brought me up in the Word and taught me to live my life for Christ
3. My goofy brothers
4. A great church that employs me and both my parents-- and with this a pastor that continues to preach the Gospel! 
5. A Nana. Because everyone needs a Nana, and mine is the best! 
6. A roof over my head
7. Teachers who inspired my love of learning and who cared about me during those dreaded high school years
8. Professors who have pushed me and challenged me and made me better for it
9. A college and a town that I hold so close to my heart
10. My amazing friends who I would not be here without
11. Friendships that have lasted for 16 years and are still going strong
12. RAs and older friends in college that have loved me so! 
13. The opportunity that I've had to watch so many different little bitties in my life. I love me some babies! 
14. Potato salad and queso. I mean come on, let's be honest. Two of the biggest blessings we've all had the pleasure of experiencing 
15. Family on both sides that love me and cheer me on
16. A passion for soccer that took up a good part of my life. So many memories made
17. The opportunity to see some of the world (HELLO, PARIS) 
18. An amazing group of men and women (past and present) at church who have poured into me and loved me when I really needed it
19. Modern technology, so I can keep up with people I don't see all the time. Also for keeping me safe. I think we forget that this is a blessing in our lives that many people do not have access to
20. A Lord and Savior who is sovereign 

This weekend is obviously not all about me. It's also mother's day! I hope everyone has a blessed mother's day weekend. Hug your mamas, and hug those who have lost their mamas. 

Always,

Caroline 

Am I really a Junior?

As I sit here in my room back in the 'ville, I'm feeling a bit nostalgic about my sophomore year of college. It ended very abruptly and I did not think much about leaving, and I got the heck out of D-Town yesterday without looking back, but now I'm feeling a tad upset. Even though I can move into my apartment in a little over a month, and I'm even going back up for a doctor's appointment next week, it will never be my sophomore year ever again. So, here are my humble reflections and thoughts about my sophomore year, and even some advice for people going into their sophomore year: 

Reflections:

Sophomore year was by far one of the strangest, hardest, and most rewarding years of my life. God blessed me infinitely, and I wouldn't have changed anything about this past year. Well, maybe I would have changed the building I lived in, but that's pretty much it; Lewis was scary, but it's fine. My classes were definitely more difficult in the spring, but they taught me more than I think I will ever realize. I was stressed out because of housing and getting into the Education Program, but both worked out, and I cannot wait to start my placement in the fall in Forsyth County. I strengthened existing friendships, and made more friendships that will last a lifetime. All the friends. I gained some great experience by going through several interviews, I got new leadership positions in two things I'm involved in. Last but not least, my relationship with God was strengthened and I pray that it continues to grow every day. 

Advice:

• Traditional dorms (especially ones that are almost 80 years old) are scary. Mold, mice, broken kitchen equipment from the RA desk, birds flying in from who-knows-where, dis-functional water pressure, clogged sinks, a laundry room with dryers that don't actually dry anything, loud neighbors with thin walls. It's a great time.
• No matter how hard you think freshman year is, it's got nothing on sophomore year. So be prepared.
• Be prepared to be thrown to the wolves when it comes to housing. Better to call 20 properties and ask a lot of questions and deal with scary realtors than to be homeless. 
• Join organizations. If you never joined anything your freshman year, join something. 
• On the other hand, do not join a million things if you don't have time. Know what you're capable of, and only do what you know you can do with the amount of time you have. You're all adults. Figure it out.
• Make connections: get to know your professors, your RA, your hallmates. The more people you know the better time you'll have. 
• Don't wait until the last minute to do assignments. Because that's just miserable.
• Realize that people are going to be dumb, people are going to be rude, and people are going to make mistakes. But still have faith in people. 
• Join a small group or get connected with an on-campus ministry if that's your thing. The more people you have surrounding you encouraging you in your faith, the better. 
• Find something to interview for. Going through an interview process is super scary but it's great experience for the future. 
• Never let anyone tell you that you can't do something. Whether it's making an A, getting a job, joining something, or doing anything. You can do it. 

I pray that for every upcoming sophomore, and every college student in general, that the Lord will bless your time in college. It is the best time of your life, so live it and live it well. 

Always,

Caroline 

"May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed." -Psalm 20:4

Remembering God's Faithfulness

"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations..."    -Deuteronomy 7:9

This morning was a cool morning for me. I watched my home church's service live stream from my dorm room in D-town, and I got to worship and listen to Zack's sermon. It was Zack's (the former college pastor at the church, the new families ministry director) first time preaching in "big church", and I had in my mind that I was going to watch the service. I had no idea, however, that I was in for a big blessing. 

Zack preached on The Greatest Commandment, from Deuteronomy 6, and at the end of the sermon, he talked about God's faithfulness. He said that if we are in a place of complacency with our faith and with the Lord, then we need to sit down and make a list of ways that God has been faithful to us. Well, I did that, and I realized that there is literally no comparison to the insurmountable ways that the Lord has been faithful to me throughout my entire life. Most of the things that I am about to list will probably not seem that big of a deal to the average person-- I have not survived an incurable disease, God has not brought me out of homelessness or anything super dramatic. But that's what so cool about God's faithfulness. Even in the mundane of our everyday lives, He is constantly blessing us and proving His faithfulness to us, even if we do not realize it! So as you read through my list of the ways God has been faithful to me, I challenge you to make your own list. The reminder of the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon you will be great. 

• First and foremost, the Lord has been incredibly faithful in that I grew up in a Christian home with supportive, loving parents who brought me up in ways of the Lord
• When I think about a time of complacency, I think back to my sophomore and junior years of high school... I wasn't in a place of complacency, I was in a place of outright denial. The Lord was so faithful and so good to bring me out of that place
• During "the dark years" as I call them, the Lord placed friends in my life. These friends, even if I did not realize it at the time, literally saved my life
• It was such a blessing that I was referred to a Christian doctor who was able to help me figure my life out 
• God's continual faithfulness in the people that He placed in my life, very intentionally. My wonderful teacher, and the amazing adults in my church who poured into me got me through high school, and I can't thank God enough for putting those people in my path
• Even though I was in a better place emotionally when I came to college, the Lord still was faithful in the people that He placed in my life. Shoutout to my small group girls, and my RA and the girls who lived on my hall last year
• When I thought I would have to endure another year of random roommate, the Lord's faithfulness came through once again and blessed me with an amazing, Godly roommate for this year and it has been awesome! 
• And as of yesterday, when I was convinced I was going to be living out of my car next year, the Lord has provided an apartment for Carley and I
• The Lord was faithful in putting people like Zack in our church who preach the truth! 

These are just a few short and sweet examples of God's faithfulness in my life. How has He been faithful in your life?  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtnE_e1LylY (consider the first words of this song... "Great is Your Faithfulness Oh God!")

Always,

Caroline 

Really Trusting

Sometimes as a Christian who has grown up in church, I have the right answers and the right things to say to people when questions are asked or when complaints are made. When people complain about being stressed, or that they don't know what the future holds, I am always quick to say "Oh, just leave it to God because He's got it." That's real easy to say, but it's much more difficult to believe that in our hearts. So just to put it out there, I'm the biggest hypocrite in the world when it comes to this. I have one of the most uptight, anxiety-prone personalities there ever was, and I know all the right things to say to calm other people down, but most of the time I can't even listen to my own advice and just trust that God knows what he's doing. I think there are many of us who are like that-- very type-A, we have to know what is going on, and we have to know what is going to go on at ALL TIMES. Well guess what, life doesn't work like that. And I have to tell myself that all the time.

Just to update you on my life at the moment, my entire existence is in a state of unknowing right now. Am I going to get the summer job that I want? Where am I going to live? What school will I be placed at for observation/student teaching/whatever it is that next year entails? Why do I have to take classes in Cumming when I came to this school to be in Dahlonega? How am I going to pay for gas to drive 60 miles roundtrip every day next year? How am I going to have time to eat? Basically everything in my life right now is just up in the air, and that drives me NUTS. But guess what the answer to every single one of those questions is? God knows. And over the last few hours as I have really thought about my next couple of years of college and how incredibly busy they are going to be, and how am I going to even survive the next two years, a verse kept popping into my head: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."-Jeremiah 29:11. So we all know this verse, and sometimes it is overused (not that something that the Lord has given to us can be overused, but you know what I mean), but it is really, really, true, and we just need to keep this in mind. Even if we don't know everything and even if we are going totally bonkers down here on Earth, the Lord has a plan for each and every one of our lives, and He knows what we're going to be doing, not just next semester, but for the rest of our lives. It is so comforting to know that even in the crazy world, God is in control and everything that happens is according to His marvelous plan. 

Always,

Caroline 

INFJ

I'm in a psychology class called Personality and Individual Differences, and it's all about the theory of personality. Basically in this class we take personality tests and questionnaires all the time, which is my jam. Our final paper is a reflective "Who Am I" paper, and we have to include our results of all these different tests we've taken. So, if you've ever taken the Myers-Briggs personality test, then you know what I mean when I say I'm an INFJ. That means (according to the Myers-Briggs test) that I am Introverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, and Judging. INFJs are some of the rarest types of people out there, so that's a pretty cool fact about me I suppose. The Lord has blessed every person with a very unique personality, and I am no different. As I sat here typing up some of my "Who Am I" paper, I thought I would write a semi-reflective blog post to maybe let those of you who read this (yes, Mom, you're not the only one who reads this) get a better sense of who I am. The INFJ personality type fits me to a tee. I am definitely introverted... ain't nobody got time to be around people all the time, that is just exhausting. Intuitive, well I definitely am pretty perceptive of what is going on around me, but who even really knows about that one. The feeling part, HA, have you met me? I feel everything x1000, whether it be happiness, sadness, jealousy, excitement. The judging.... well, not really sure what that means to be completely honest (I probably should, because I'm in this personality class, but....), but hey whatever, the overall profile of INFJ fits me. So, anywho, This is a really random post, but I haven't posted in a while, so. Yay. 

"Don't compare yourself with anyone in this world... if you do so, you are insulting yourself." -Bill Gates

Always,

Caroline

5 Years Too Long

Five years ago today, one of the best men in the world went to be with our sweet Lord. Five years ago today, my grandfather's suffering and year-long battle with cancer ended. Let me just give you a little background about the one and only Tom Blackwell.

When I was little, Papa Tom stayed with me while my parents worked. Papa was the first one to take me to the zoo, the one who took me on my first MARTA ride, the one who watched Mr. Roger's with me. When I was like, five, Papa taught me how to type properly on the computer. Like, um, who does that with a five year old. Papa. When I was in middle school we went to the pasture at the bottom of his property, got into his jeep, and it was then and there that he taught me how to drive. Papa let me help him measure out property lines in elementary school, he helped me create a cell out of play-doh in the fourth grade. Papa took pictures of me whenever we passed a county sign because he wanted me to do a project on the 159 counties in Georgia. My papa was a unique man.

But not only was Papa special to me, he was special to everyone he encountered. He made everyone feel as though they were right at home. He would ask perfect strangers about their personal lives and about their families, but he asked it in a way that no one minded telling him. He was the most organized man I've ever met, and he would sit down with big yellow legal pads and tell us lists of things that he was going to do, and he would draw diagrams to illustrate stories. (If anybody wants to know where I got my love of detailed storytelling from, it came from Papa). 

The other thing that I inherited from my papa is my love of learning. Papa was a teacher for years, a biology/botany teacher. I knew more about dang plants than any other third grader, let me tell ya. When I went to high school, my passion for learning came out even more in my biology classes. I attribute my love of biology and science in general to Papa. I wanted to be a good biology student for him, so I threw myself into it. I saw the way that Papa talked about his years of teaching and his students, and that's definitely something that has inspired me to go into teaching.

 The last weekend that I saw my Papa was hard. When I said goodbye to him, everybody in the room cried because they knew how hard it was for both of us. The last thing he said to me was "Don't let anybody change what you believe." He said this very faintly and weakly, but I know that's what he said. I have tried to make Papa proud. I am firm in my beliefs. Papa is the happiest man ever in Heaven, praising Jesus all day long, singing his favorite song Great is Thy Faithfulness. I hope that I am living my life in a way that is pleasing and glorifying to the Lord, but also one that would make my papa proud. 

We miss you, Papa. {August 7th, 1942- February 18th, 2010}

50 Shades of Heck to the No

In honor of Valentine's Day this weekend, I have decided to write a post about 50 Shades of Grey. Now, I know that in the blog world, there have been a lot of posts lately about the same topic, but hey, I'll give it a shot as well. 

*Disclaimer* I have not read 50 Shades of Grey, but I have done my research. So if there is something inaccurate in this post, I apologize. 

So, to start off this post, I think that it is appalling that this film is coming out on VALENTINE'S DAY. I think this holiday is a load of bull ((it brings out the bitter single lady within me)), but whatever, Valentine's Day is a day that is supposed to represent love. 50 Shades, I am sorry to say, DOES. NOT. REPRESENT. LOVE. It is a twisted story about dominance and sadomasochism, and it tells readers that engaging in a relationship where a CONTRACT has to be signed is okay. And guess what? It's not. 

Even people who engage in BDSM say that this book is not an accurate representation of what BDSM actually is. I'm not going to get into a discussion about BDSM and my opinions on that, but if people who agree with this movement and engage in sexual activities like this think that 50 Shades is inaccurate and not representative of what it is, then shouldn't that be a red flag? Because really all it is is a story about a powerful, wealthy man wooing a young woman and convincing her that all the acts that they engage in are acts of love. But they are not. This book is an example of domestic violence, and it glamorizes sexual abuse. 

The Lord intended sex to take place within marriage. The Lord intended sex to be an act of love, not one of dominance and shame, not one of bondage and rules. 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 talks about fleeing from sexual immorality. 50 Shades of Grey is the opposite of fleeing from sexual immorality. It is proclaiming a message to our society that a man taking advantage of a woman and controlling her in the ways that Christian controls Ana is something to be desired. It is seen as sexy. Well, to all the women and men across the world who have been sexually abused and forced to perform sexual acts that they were not comfortable with, it is not sexy. It is not what the Lord intended for us.

I am not condemning you if you have read this book. I am not saying that you are un-Christian or a terrible person if you go see this movie. It's not my place to judge you, the author of 50 Shades, or anybody else. What I am saying, however, is please just be cautious. I encourage you to think long and hard before going to see 50 Shades of Grey. I encourage you to read for yourself about what God intended sex to be, and then decide whether 50 Shades goes along with what God says. I encourage you to consider the message that this story sends and ask that you consider not going to the theater to see this film. 

That is all.

Love always,

Caroline

#sororitylife

So, to start this post off, I am letting everyone know that I am in a sorority. Granted, it is not Panhellenic, it is a service sorority, but for all intents and purposes, it's all the same. And the Lord has blessed me with it big time. 

Now, my mother was involved in a sorority in college, and all through high school I kind of just thought it was all a bunch of bologna. I never had any intentions of joining anything, until I came to orientation. Everybody that I met at orientation was planning on going through recruitment and joining a sorority. So naturally I was like "Well dang, maybe I should consider going through recruitment." Now my school does delayed recruitment, which means that it takes place in January, instead of in August before school even starts. I liked that idea, the idea that I could take a semester to get my bearings and get my life together before I had to worry about joining a sorority. Well, then Gamma Sigma Sigma fell into my lap. Gamma Sig is a service, non-Panhellenic sorority. They are non-selective, which means as long as you show up and you're committed, you are welcome to join. And they started the process in September, not January. Well I have to be honest, I liked the idea of not having to go through the stress of recruitment, so I thought I would go see what Gamma Sig was all about. I had a friend who was in Gamma Sig, and she invited me to come to their Open House. Well, typical things that happen to Caroline, I forgot about the Open House. So there's that. So that meant I had a couple of options: I could forget about Gamma Sig because I had missed the Open House, or I could take some initiative and email someone in charge and ask for more information and if I was still allowed to join. For those of you who don't know me, I'm very independent when it comes to some things, but others, not so much. I don't even like walking across the dining hall by myself without a buddy by my side, so the fact that I emailed someone from Gamma Sig and went all by myself to the Member-in-Training (MIT) pinning was a miracle. All that being said, I became a member of Gamma Sig and it was great. I considered also joining a social sorority, one of the five that we have on our campus, but I really felt like Gamma Sig was my home. I liked the girls, I liked what it stood for. I liked it all. And let me tell you it's been awesome.

We do small service projects every month, and we have national service partners that we raise money for. There are not really any negative connotations associated with us, because honestly, not many people have heard of Gamma Sigma Sigma Sigma. But it's been a blessing to be involved in community service and to build relationships with the awesome girls in my sorority. I have an awesome Big sister in the sorority, and last night was our Big/Little Reveal, and I got a Little. Bigs and Littles are sisters that have somewhat of a special bond that they don't have with any of the other sisters in the sorority. It's just great. I love all of my sisters, the things that we stand for, I love my awesome Big, and I am so blessed to have my amazing Little. The Lord has blessed me with some awesome friendships that will last a lifetime.

For all of you out there who are wondering if sororities are all they're cracked up to be, I can tell you that from my experience, they have been. 

Love always,

Caroline 

10,000 Reasons

One of my all time favorite songs is "10,000 Reasons" by Matt Redman. I don't know about y'all, but it really tugs at my heart strings. And there are so many contemporary Christian songs that are cheesy (nothing wrong with cheesy, but.... cheesy), that it is refreshing to have a song that is easy to sing and listen to, but also has a lot of meaning. The chorus of this song focuses on praising our great God, and it's wonderful. I mean, the whole song is about glorifying the Lord, and the second verse focuses on a couple of the Lord's attributes, like how He is rich in love and slow to anger. What more can you ask for? The last line of the second verse says "Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find." That to me means that we can literally find 10,000 or more reasons to glorify the Lord. There is never-ending goodness when it comes to God, and we can always find a reason to praise and glorify Him even through hard times. 

Love always,

Caroline 

Thank you for the trials

This morning at the church that I go to in Dahlonega, we sang a song that I had never heard before. It's called "Every Day" by Sovereign Grace. Has anybody ever heard this song? Because it's the BOMB. In regards to my previous post, I am fully aware that my struggles this past week are NOTHING compared to what probably a majority of the world goes through on a daily basis. Let's be real, I missed an appointment and didn't get offered a job. Big whoop, right? Well, with that being said, I am a big believer in that there is never a trial or sadness too small for God to care about. The Lord is all-powerful and all-knowing, and if He is so great and merciful that he can send His only son to die for us, then he is also great enough to hear about the smallest trial that we are going through. 

With every trial that we go through, we need to keep praising Him. I know, I know, it's hard, and it seems like an impossible thing to do. I've been there, done that. I have questioned everything I knew and asked God the old-as-time question: Why? Why has this happened to me, why would You allow this to happen to me? Well guys, I am here to tell you, the Lord brought me through everything that has happened in my life, and He continues to do so every day. And I have learned, that there is nothing too big for God to overcome, there is nothing that I can't handle with the Lord on my side. And even if there are hard and sad times in our lives, the Lord is still there and He still loves us. Even if it doesn't feel like it. So we just need to realize that our Lord is sovereign and that everything that happens is according to His plan. And we need to praise the Lord, and even thank him for the difficult times in our lives. Everything that we go through can either pull us towards the Lord, or away from the Lord. I choose to let it bring me closer to Him. It is not always easy to have a great attitude and to smile through the pain. I get that. And I am not saying "Let's all just get a grip and praise God and do a happy dance even though my house burned down yesterday." Wrong. That's not what I'm saying. But what we can do is thank God for allowing us to live another day, thank God for the things that are good, for the things we do have, even when times are hard. 

The link to the song we listened to this morning is posted below, and I hope you'll take a minute to listen to it. It's so good. Thank you, Lord for the trials and for the pain. Everything happens for a reason and is for Your glory. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6kIUC80kTY 

Love always,

Caroline 

Overcoming Disappointment

This week has been a week. Can I get an Amen? For all of you who are out there and who have had the worst week of your life, a bad week. or just an "eh" week, I am here to tell you: We Will Survive. *cue "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor*

Let's just have a quick recap of my week so far. First, on Wednesday, I missed my advisement appointment. Now, if you are a pre-education student at my school, you know you better not miss advisement. When they put the appointment book out people break down the door to get a good appointment time. I was one of those people. I ran to the office to schedule an appointment, at a prime time, which is before registration and before we apply to the program (which is in two weeks BTW). I wrote down the time in three out of my four planners (yes, I have four planners, don't judge). I put the appointment in my phone and set an alert. Why so diligent about remembering? Oh yeah, because I missed my appointment last year. Well, low and behold, I missed it again. Of course. After I had a meltdown in the corner of one of the academic buildings on campus (not my first time doing this, but it's not necessarily a pleasant experience), I came to the realization that this was not the end of the world. Actually, I came to that realization after I had a very dramatic moment with my friend and told her that I was not going to get into the education program because I missed this appointment. Alright, get a grip Caroline. The Lord knows what I can and cannot handle, and clearly I could handle missing an advisement appointment, otherwise it wouldn't have happened. So, with that in mind, I went about my day. My best friend from high school called me and told me a funny story, another one of my friends brought me a Chick-fil-A lemonade, which if you know me, Chick-fil-A lemonade is bae. So the day turned around.

Then here comes Friday. I got the news that I had not been offered a job, a job that I applied for last year and did not receive then, either. So of course my initial reaction is WHY? Why did I apply for this job for the second year in a row, and why was I still not offered a position? Well see the funny thing is, I don't know the Lord's timing. I have to believe that there are better things out there for me, and that getting this job was just not in God's plan. And after I had gotten over my frustration of the matter, I had a great day. I went and saw American Sniper with my roommate (which, if you're looking for a good movie, go see that. It's incredible. 5 stars from the rating of Caroline). I had Chick-fil-A for dinner--again, lemonade is bae-- and then I watched Princess Diaries with several friends. I mean, who can say that that's a bad day? I praise God for the friends that I have in my life, and for His perfect timing, even if I can't understand it. Although I did not have the worst week ever, some not-so-fun things happened, and I was stressed. But through all of that, the Lord is good and He is faithful. Just know that even with whatever you are going through.

"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" -Psalm 27:14

Love always,

Caroline

A new year

Oh hi. Why would I want to start a blog? The answer is this: I don't really know. I am not of the impression that there will be hundreds of people flocking to read my blog every time I post something, but I like to think that this could be a way for my friends and family to read my thoughts and passions as I do this crazy thing called college. Or better yet, this crazy thing called life. As I venture into the world of blogging, I ask that you, whoever you may be, be patient with me. Because I am human. I make mistakes. Something I write may offend you, or may cause you to think twice about something that you previously thought you had all figured out. But I hope that everyone reading understands that I am just a nineteen year old college student who is trying to grow in Christ, further my education, and enhance relationships with friends and family. I leave you today, with my favorite verse, and I hope that it brings encouragement and happiness. I know as well as anybody that sometimes it is just not within us to feel encouragement and happiness, but I pray that this verse will leave someone with just a tad.

"For all things are possible with God." -Mark 10:27

Love always,

Caroline